Hands-on with Galak-Z | Hardcore Gamer

Galak-Z had a nicely busy booth on the PAX East show floor, but thankfully not too busy to get a good couple rounds of playtime in. After diving into a few missions, trading firepower with the enemies in its dark caverns, and dodging the flora and fauna that line the walls, Galak-Z revealed itself to be a zippy and fun free-scrolling shooter with an irresistible 80s anime vibe. Dodging firepower while trying not to pinball off the walls, locking on enemies for a burst of explosive missile destruction, and carefully navigating to scope out an encounter before letting loose with the lasers when the radar popped up an enemy alert made for a good round of shooting, and the knowledge that perma-death was waiting to pounce on any carelessness added its usual pleasant tension.